Case 002: Attorney Kim (Trial and Error Series)

21

Going back to the very same place where he spent the worst time in his life was nothing close to nostalgic for him. He remembers how much he hated prison food, but aside from that and the unsanitary living situation inside, he was grateful for the people inside who looked after him.

"Are sure this is a good idea? I don't think it is, Y/N," Jungkook asks with a scowl as both of you walk along the prison hallways. "Does Atty. Kim knows this? I don't want to consent to things like this," he shivered at the thought of Taehyung getting mad at him.

"I just need to do this so I can move on with my life better. Besides, don't tell me you're getting the ick from your old dorm?" you nudged at his side, but he only glowered at you even more.

"That's very funny, Y/N," he rolled his eyes, groaning at the memory of his time in prison.

Jungkook greeted the guards after he had told them that you were here to see Jinyoung. You were expecting them to treat him rudely, but to your surprise, Jungkook and the guards exchanged banters and jokes instead. You didn't know why you were still surprised about it. He always made friends wherever he went, given that he is such a good-natured person – something you couldn't say the same for Jinyoung.

After waiting for an ample amount of time, Jinyoung comes with an irritating smirk, "Well if it isn't Y/N and her guard dog. Hey Jeon, missed being in prison?"

Jungkook bitterly chuckles, "Nah, my bed's comfier now. Just so you know, they were pretty nice to me here. Not sure if I could say the same for you though."

Jinyoung's smirk faltered to a scowl with the way Jungkook retorted back at him. Even inside, he still held on to his pride. He turned to look at you next, "What? Enjoying my misery so much you decided to pay me a visit?"

"No, I just wanted to do this for myself. My parents didn't raise me to have ill wishes towards others, but I'd be a hypocrite If I didn't say I hope you rot in jail," he scoffed.

"Isn't that what I'm doing right now? I've been disbarred and sentenced with the death penalty," he barely looked at you.

You fumed at how arrogant he still is, "A minor ended her life because of the shame you put her through, Jinyoung. That could've been me. That could've been Jungkook's younger sister or anyone that you know! And rightfully, you deserve all of this. Fuck – no, you deserve much worse. You dying is only an easy way out."

You angrily stormed your way out of the prison, seeing that Jinyoung will never show remorse for all the trauma he had caused his victims.

However, even if seeing him in prison gave you so much satisfaction, you couldn't help but feel bad for him. Not everyone gets to start over their lives the way you and Jungkook did – especially Jungkook. He could've been sentenced to death if he didn't have good people who tirelessly worked hard to get him out.

Since you promised your husband to tell him everything from now on, you waited patiently for him to drop by your unit. It didn't matter if he came home late if you were, to be honest. You just needed to get things off your chest and let him know how your day went. It's also good that he sleeps over at your place 3x a week since most of his important documents are over at his place.

After a few hours of waiting, the doorknob jiggled and opened, revealing a worn-out Taehyung in his gray suit. As soon as he sees you sitting at the dining table with a coffee, he tiredly smiles at you, "Honey, I'm home."

"Practicing now, are we?" Greeting him with a tight embrace as you inhaled his perfume that you've always loved. He moves the stray hairs that curtained your features before cupping your face with both hands and peppering it with a lot of soft kisses.

"How did my wife's day go?" You watched him place his suitcase on the table while he removed his tie with one finger.

You shifted your weight side to side as you tried to blurt the words out as best you could without worrying him with what you had to say, "I went to see Jinyoung today."

Stopping in his tracks to look at you with a cocked brow, "Alone?"

You shook your head, "No, I was with Jungkook."

There was a sigh of relief that escaped his lips. He sat down on the couch and patted on his thigh, motioning for you to sit and tell him more of what happened, so you followed. "How did it go? Bad, I assume," you nodded.

"Pretty much. Jinyoung doesn't give a shit, but I already expected that from him," you sighed while you rested your head at the crook of his neck. All Taehyung could do was listen to you mumly while his hand soothed your arm, "I just...I don't know. No matter how hard I try to understand it, I just can't grasp the idea of the Death Penalty itself."

Taehyung clicked his tongue as he thought of a better way to put it, "It's okay, I also still don't understand half of the constitution too."

You looked up at him with a confused look on your face. Who would've thought that the bar exam's top notcher and the country's sought-after lawyer had a hard time understanding the law?

"You don't?" He hums in response.

"Lawyers spend years in school with the idea to reform the system. Although I don't completely side with the concept of the death penalty, given that there are a lot of missentences than you would imagine, that doesn't mean we stop trying to make a change."

"And how exactly can you do that?" You asked, listening intently at your husband.

He smiled as he looked up at the ceiling, "Maybe when I become a judge, I can give better sentences. But before I do that, I think raising my own kids with a solid understanding of right and wrong is a good step."

You chuckled, "Have you practiced enough to know what it's like to raise one?"

He teasingly lifted a brow at you, smirking that you seemed to have forgotten about something, "I practically raised Sejin with you, what do you mean?"

Your laughter roared through the whole unit, waking your brother up from his sleep. Covering your mouth with wide eyes, Taehyung brings a finger up to his lips as he gently puts you down to go to Sejin's room.

Days before the wedding, Taehyung finally visited his mother's grave. It was long overdue, but it had to happen. It's been more than a decade since he stepped foot in the cemetery. Sure, he could reason out how busy he was the past few years, but in reality, he was never ready.

"Hey, mom. Sorry, it took a while," Taehyung dusted off the dead leaves and placed the fresh flowers. "I hope you still remember me," he chuckled, humoring himself.

Ahn Miyeon (1986 - 1995)

He traced each letter engraved on the tombstone, inhaling deeply as he tried to hold his tears in, "I have so much to tell you...I just...I don't know where to start."

Propping down in the grass comfortably, he rested his hands on both sides and stared at the clouds that moved along with the wind, "I'm a lawyer now. That's fun. I closed the biggest case of my life last year, too. Then I met this girl, then broke it off with her, but now we're together again."

He chuckled at the tremulous journey both of you had gone through, "I don't know how you were like when you were still alive, but I hope she's as kind as you."

Taehyung loosened his tie in a way that served as a distraction for me, "I wish you and auntie were here for the wedding, you know? But time took the both of you away from me too soon."

"I'll bring her here next time." When the soft breeze hit Taehyung's skin, he closed his eyes and smiled genuinely, "Please watch over us. Always. I hope I made you proud."